Peak experience: Shoreview family climbs Mount Kilimanjaro

SHOREVIEW, Minn. (FOX 9) - Everyone thinks their vacation pictures are special. But the photos from the Russell family's African adventure are more interesting than most.

"I had always aspired to do this. I figured I better do it soon if I wanted to make it. right," said John Russell.

"It was just amazing. I thought every day was better than the next," said his son Will.

The Shoreview father took his sons, Will and Joe, halfway around the world to Tanzania, along with John's college roommate and his son, to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, in order to cross it off John's bucket list.

For eight days, they traveled through a handful of climate zones from 7,000 to 19,000 feet above sea level, while trying to acclimate their bodies to the altitude, where the amount of oxygen in the air is about half of what it is here at home.

It was a bucket list trip for John Russell. (Supplied)

"You root around in your pack at night and you are out of breath, so a lot of it was getting accustomed to that," said John.

Unfortunately, John wasn't able to make it all the way up Kilimanjaro because he got acute mountain sickness at the last camp before the summit.

But the rest of their party made the trek to the mountaintop, where they were starstruck by the view and how bright the stars were because of the lack of light pollution.

"It felt like we were literally on a different planet. Once you get to the top. you are above the clouds. You just feel like a different perspective. It was my favorite part of the whole trip," said Will.

Afterward, the group went on a three-day photo safari in the Serengeti to see the exotic animals in their natural habitat.

But they say their journey to the tip of the world's tallest free-standing mountain will be tough to top.

"Really challenging yourself, away from cell phones, away from social media, away from the job. It was really priceless," said John.